1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to synchronization control between a toner image and a sheet of paper on which the toner image is fixed, in an electrophotographic image forming process, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the electrophotographic image forming process, for example, a toner image is formed based on an input image, and a medium (sheet) on which the toner image to be formed is transferred is conveyed. Thus, it is necessary to perform control related to timing of generating (outputting) the toner image and control related to timing of conveying the sheet in such a manner that they are associated with each other. Such control in which the timing of generating (outputting) the toner image and the timing of conveying the sheet are associated with each other to form an input image in an appropriate position on the sheet is also referred to as “image synchronization control”.
In the image synchronization control in an image forming process, each timing is controlled depending on a distance over which toner moves from a position where the toner image is formed to a position where the toner image is transferred to the sheet, and a speed thereof, as well as a distance over which the sheet moves from a position where the sheet is fed (typically the position of a timing roller) to the position where the toner image is transferred, and a speed thereof.
In response to the demand for reducing the costs of image forming apparatuses in recent years, an attempt to change or simplify various mechanisms in an image forming apparatus has been made, and accordingly, control specifications themselves are becoming more complicated. Meanwhile, there is also a demand that the development cycle of the image forming apparatus be shortened. In such an environment, there is a need to improve the efficiency of software development for realizing various types of control.
Some examples of related art concerning such software development of image forming apparatuses are as follows.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-278406 discloses a technique for facilitating reuse of software by configuring software for performing sheet feed/conveyance control with individual components (software components). Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-259872 discloses a technique for allowing common document processing to be adopted by accommodating a difference between an input source and an output destination, and providing a user with an interface through which document processing can be easily set.
Furthermore, as the related art concerning the image synchronization control in the image forming process as described above, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-116828 discloses a configuration having means for notifying a sheet feed/conveyance control unit of a time period from the time when a forward end of a first image is primarily transferred until the time when it reaches a secondary transfer position, to change a start time for driving a registration roller in accordance with the time of which the sheet feed/conveyance control unit was notified. The sheet feed/conveyance control unit can also make a request for a required image interval to an image forming unit based on a time period needed for driving the registration roller, and the image interval is changed in accordance with the request.
In the case of development to create software (control programs) individually in accordance with structural differences among various mechanisms in image forming apparatuses, it is necessary to develop programs dedicated for individual models in a number corresponding to the number of models. Therefore, efficient software development cannot be realized. Thus, software cannot be reused between models that adopt similar mechanisms, making it difficult to realize a shortened period of development work.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-278406 described above merely discloses the concept of dividing software into components, and does not disclose a specific development technique for efficiently developing software for use in a plurality of models as described above. Furthermore, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-259872 described above proposes a software configuration for solving a problem in that similar types of processing were performed by different applications, and thus there were many duplications of processing or functions. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-259872, however, does not disclose an efficient development technique for developing software for use in a plurality of models as described above. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-116828 described above merely focuses on readily determining timing of starting a task, and does not disclose a specific development technique for efficiently developing software for use in a plurality of models as described above.